Indian Food

Overview | Indian Dishes | Indian Food in Thailand | Indian Food in India

Indian menu for beginners

For beginners, eating an Indian meal might be somewhat of problem. Indian food is designed to be eaten with the group. Unlike western food, Indian food cannot be eaten or served without a combination. Thus, even though you like that curried vegetable or chutney, try not to eat it by itself. Combine it with rice or Indian bread or with other dishes. This will help you enjoy the meal more and will not give any digestion problems later.

There is basic rule about how to combine dishes to make a complete Indian meal. Each Indian meal should consist of starch (for example: rice and/or Indian bread), one or more main dishes (for example: meat dish or fish dish, or a lentil and vegetable combination) and some kind of chutney. Usually two vegetables and/or lentil dish will be served with meal; one ‘wet' with lots of soup and one ‘dry'. For a simple meal there will be only few varieties of dishes while for an elaborate parties or festivals, more variety of them are prepared

Glimpse of Famous Indian Dishes
Vegetarian Dishes::Bread::Rice Specialties::Desserts

Vegetarian Dishes
	Aloo Gobi Masala Cauliflower and potato cooked in spicy sauce
	Baigan Bharta A vegetarian delight, eggplant mashed and cooked with tomatoes, peas and spices
	Dal Makhni Lentil delicacy tossed with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cream and spices
	Dum Aloo Whole potatoes cooked in a mildly spiced yogurt gravy
	Mutter Paneer Cottage cheese cooked with tomatoes, onions, green peas and spices.
	Navratna Korma Chopped vegetables of nine types prepared in rich white gravy, dry fruits and cheese
	Vegetable Biryani Rice delicacy with a medley of vegetables and spices
	Vegetable Jalfrezi Cauliflower, carrots, beans, green pepper saut?ed in ginger, garlic, dry fruits and spices

Bread
	Naan Flat Leavened baked bread made in tandoor or clay oven
	Aloo Ka Paratha Whole wheat bread stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes and fried with oil
	Bhatura Large puffy bread made with all purpose flour
	Roti Whole wheat bread cooked on tawa
	Tandoori Roti Oblong or circular shaped whole wheat bread baked in tandoor or oven

Rice Specialties
	Carrot Rice Fragrant basmati rice sauteed with carrots, onions, coriander, and curry leaves
	Chicken Biryani Chicken pieces marinated in a spice and curd mixture and cooked with basmati rice on a slow fire
	Egg Biryani - Delicacy made of rice and egg, flavoured with spices

Desserts
	Coconut Barfi or Nariyal Barfi Square shaped grated coconut preparation
	Gulaab Jamun Brown colored dumplings of dried milk and refined flour soaked in sugar syrup
	Rice Pudding or Kheer A traditional Indian sweet dish of rice boiled in sweetened milk

Other Recommended dishes

Biryani: Meat and rice dish

Boti Kabab: Marinated lamb kabobs cooked in a tandoor

Cardamom: Seed with aromatic flavor - 4 whole pods make 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Coriander: Available as a ground spice (ground coriander seeds) or fresh coriander leaves (also known as cilantro)

Chili Peppers: Jalapenos and milder Anaheim chili peppers

Chutney: Fresh relishes made with fruits, vegetables, and herbs

Dal: Dried beans, peas, and lentils - Can also be used to describe a dish prepared with legumes (such a creamy lentil soup)

Ghee: Clarified butter used in sauteeing and less commonly for deep frying

Gulab Jamun: Deep-fried cake balls served with aromatic syrups

Koftas: Lamb meatballs

Korma: Rich nut-based sauce used in lamb dishes

Kulcha: Flatbread often stuffed with onion or vegetables (potatoes and cilantro)

Kulfi: Sweet, aromatic ice cream made from pistachios

Masala: Spice mixture

Mattar Paneer: Curried peas (mattar) with cubes of paneer

Moghlai Kabab: Skewered lamb

Murgh Kari: Curried chicken

Naan: Flatbread made from wheat and baked in a tandoor

Pakoras: Deep-fried vegetables snack first dipped in chick-pea batter

Palak: Spinach

Paneer: Home-made cheese similar to firm ricotta

Paratha: Whole-wheat flatbread - sometimes meat-filled

Poppadums: Thin wafers made from lentils

Pulau: Indian version of pilaf

Puris: Deep-fried whole-wheat flatbreads

Raan: Leg of lamb marinated in yogurt-based masala

Rayta: Vegetable and yogurt salad

Roghan Josh: Rich lamb curry

Saag Curry: Aromatic curried dish made from greens (saag)

Saffron: An expensive yet important herb collected from the crocus flower - has a distinct flavor and also imparts orange color

Samosas: Deep-fried pastry appetizers filled with vegetable or meat mixtures

Sultana: Golden raisins used in Indian cooking

Seekh Kabab: Kabobs of ground lamb cooked in a tandoor

Tamarind: pulp of a fruit that resembles gigantic vanilla beans with a distinct sour-sweet flavor - used in marinades, sauces, and chutneys

Tandoori murgh: Chicken (murgh) cooked in a tandoor

Tikka kabobs: Skewered boneless chicken cutlets (tikka) cooked in a tandoor

Turmeric: slightly bitter ocher-yellow powder ground from boiled and dried rhizome

Wet Masala: A thick marinade "paste" for meats

Yogurt: Adds important texture and flavor to dishes - use plain yogurt for home-cooking